A Lifetime
by animekraze
Summary: Unbeknownst to Toph, she always ruined the moment. Taang, Zutara, SokkaxSuki


**What can I say? I'm a Tophtard. **

**Disclaimer: I own none. Just this meager laptop that's not even on my lap, so it's a top…yeah…**

_**(ATLA)**_

Unbeknownst to Toph, she always ruined the moment.

At the age of three, she bumped into her most trusted male care-taker having steamy sexual intercourse with a maid. It was midnight, everyone fast asleep except for the blind mistress. "What game are you two playing? Why is it so noisy?" she asked, drowsy from the interruption of her sleep. The two were promptly caught by Toph's father, and the care-taker (including the rest of the male employees) became eunuchs.

_"Hey, Toph, are you feeling well today?" the care-taker asked sweetly. _

_"…who are you? You're voice is really high for a guy's…"_

When she became six, her father and mother took her to a formal (only the commoners were in the dark about their blind child). Toph, who had wandered away from the over protective parents, had somehow wandered into the garden of the large mansion. She heard a male voice whispering sweet tales into a young woman's ear. "What are you doing here? The party's inside." They laughed at her naiveté, but their annoyance was obvious.

_"The moment is ruined, Lee." The young woman whined. _

_"It is okay, Sune. I'll treat you to something special later." He huskily whispered. _

_"Like candy?" Toph questioned. _

On her tenth birthday, and her success at being the champion of the underground Earth Rumble, she received something strange. An older boy, not too old, at the most nine years older, had pulled her to the side. "You're really pretty, and…and I really like you." He kissed her gently on the tiny girl's lips. He was found face down in the dirt later that day.

_"Why is your face so red, Toph?" Her mother questioned. _

_"It's nothing, mother." Toph mumbled. _

When she was twelve and still unknowing to the much known concept of the birds and the bees, she made a face when the group had walked down a sketchy street. The red lights shone upon her heads (Sokka drooling along the way and Aang trying to cover his virgin eyes) and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Katara, there's this strange thumping feeling. There are a lot of fluids rushing as well…" Katara, just noticing that they were standing in front of a whore house and seeing the embarrassing sight of nature taking its own course, grabbed Toph and ran away from the dreaded place.

_"Katara, what was that place?" Toph questioned innocently. _

_"The…red light…street…" Katara mumbled. _

When Toph became fourteen, she often made fun of Katara's shy demeanor when a certain eighteen year old boy flirted with her. Toph, still naïve with the issue concerning the courting of a lady by a male, had butted in any moments they had together. "Admit it, you just want to get into her pants." That usual smug smirk placed on her face, she would pat the two love birds on their heads, like as if they were children, and walk away with a laugh.

_"I swear…someday!" _

_Zuko hissed. "Calm down, Zuko…"._

When Toph became eighteen and her parents were now pushing her to take the plunge and marry an eligible man, she caved. "Even if they tried to keep me in…they're still my parents, and I love them for keeping me alive. They did what they thought was best for me, even if it wasn't." Toph, now a lady and filled out in the right places, finally came home after six seemingly short years. Aang, official peace maker (especially between the frustrated Fire Lord and the short tempered Water Tribe ambassador) watched in silence as his greatest partner left their lives.

_"You like her, don't you?" Katara giggled. _

_"WHAT?! I-I-NO!" Aang blubbered. _

Half a year later, Toph finally met her suave and handsome fiancé. "Toph, it's been so long." Her fiancé, proclaimed as handsome, kissed her hand. Toph, not one for the sugary kinds, snapped her head the other way and walked to her care-taker.

_"I've always like the hard-to-get ones." He sighed happily, staring at her retreating figure. _

_"You're a pervert." Muttered a nearby maid. _

One month later, Aang secretly visited Toph, unable to stay away. Though he would now be welcomed without a problem, he needed to talk to the girl alone. "It's kind of…lonely without you…" he mumbled, a light blush painted over his cheeks. Toph, noticing the rapid rush of his blood to his head, told him to get some rest or he'll pass out. Aang, his heart slightly crushed (she didn't take the hint) nodded and told her he'll come in a few days.

_"Lady Toph! That was so adorable!" cried out her care-taker, moved by the minor step towards romance._

_ "What was adorable?" Toph questioned, pulling at a loose thread on a pillow she was cradling. _

Four days later, a formal was made at the Bei Fong family estate. Toph, hair pulled back to reveal her pale skin, yawned. Boredom was an issue for the young bender, now that she had to act all lady-like. Her husband-to-be offered his hand for a dance. She politely declined. "I am having a horrible headache right now." This was an excuse that no one would decline from a blind woman. He nodded and went off to find another woman to court. Toph, even more bored, noticed the recognizable steps of Twinkle-toes. She smiled, his steps sloppy, trying to escape the many suitors that followed.

_"Toph's smiling." Zuko whispered, fear lacing his words. _

_"Aang's coming her way." Katara smiled, patting her husband's cheek. _

Two minutes later, Aang stopped straight as a board in front of Toph. She was a head shorter than he, but her finger was right on the mark, right between his eyes. The women behind Aang stared, a jealous aura oozing out of them like pus out of an old wound. Toph took the boy's hand, her grip strong and tight. "Shall we dance?" Cliché, but she could care less.

_"Sir, your wife-to-be is dancing with the Avatar." The maid whispered. _

_"Wha…?". _

Thirty seconds later, they were dancing freely on the wood floor. Toph, her feet bare under the long dress, the hem touching the floor, moved gracefully with the nervous Avatar. Aang, nervous, high on the smell of her perfume and the combination of the low lights and her unusually soft hand in his, followed her every step. He never knew she could dance like this. They finished their little chaste hustle, her waist in his arms and bent back slightly, the both benders breathing slightly heavier than usual. "Avatar! I challenge you…" a threatening finger of a foolish love sick fool.

_"The plot's thickening." Katara watched with glee. _

_"…you're enjoying all this, aren't you…?" Zuko stared at his elated wife. _

"What's wrong with you now?" Toph huffed, arms crossed. She fixed her hair so the bangs were out of her eyes and her dress was more appropriately placed.

"Toph, don't you understand?" her husband-to-be grabbed her hands. "I love you, but how can I do that when this…fiancé stealer takes you away?"

"Fiancé stealer?!" Aang incredulously cried out.

Toph, never an understanding person since birth, pulled her hands away haughtily. "I've never _loved_ you, I've never _loved_ anyone! If you want to get some attention from a lady, why don't you court those whores behind you!"

A collective wave of "Ooh" and one "Ouch" was heard.

_"That idiot just got served!" Sokka chuckled. _

_"…what…?" _

_Suki stared at her husband. "I have no idea…" _

"How can you say that?! I've known you since you were a baby!"

"I can't remember, now can I?!"

"Calm down you two." Aang stepped between the quarreling spouses-to-be.

Toph pushed Aang away, and pointed at the taller man. "You. Me. Battle. I win, this marriage is off."

"If I win?" He smirked.

Her mouth hung open for a second. "…I'll let you do whatever you want with me." Her cheeks were tinged with a slight blush.

"Let's up the stakes a bit. You have to kiss me if I win, AND I get to do whatever I want with you afterwards."

"And if I win?"

The older man placed a rough hand on Aang's shoulder. "He'll have to kiss you."

"WHAT?!" Aang flustered, flying far away from the pair and against a square based pillar.

Toph scoffed. "What kind of win is that." She crossed her arms. "How about I get to kick your balls?"

"How about me fondling your breasts?"

"How about me stepping in?!" Katara pushed the two away. "This is getting ridiculous. Toph, come on, lets go to bed. This isn't worth the trouble."

"Finally, someone is making some sense around here." Toph sneered.

"And I'm sure you're quite the sensible person yourself!" he sneered back.

Katara soundly sighed. "Aang, get Toph out of here."

"I-I-well-I!" Aang blubbered.

"How about I kick your ass all the way back to Ba Sing Se?"

"How about I fill that pretty mouth of yours with my—"

"ENOUGH!" Katara bellowed, a stray hair falling out of place. "**The both of you will STAY in your own quarters and just LEAVE EACH OTHER **_**ALONE**_."

Silence…

Zuko tightly gripped the water-bender's shoulders. "Honey, stress isn't good for the baby…"

"You're pregnant?" Toph changed the subject.

"Wow, congrats." The other proclaimed.

"Why thank you!" Katara bubbled.

Everyone's attention was averted to the pregnant Katara…

…Except for the flabbergasted Aang, of course.

Exactly one day, two hours, thirteen minutes and fifty seconds later, Aang was pacing in front of Toph's room. His steps were lighter than normal; he was almost hovering above the ground. He was still hung over the previous night. Although he shouldn't be here (It's nearing midnight) he needed to talk to Toph. Bad. "What are you doing here?" the door opened revealing Toph, her long hair slightly messed from her attempts to sleep. She was in her night gown, a light shade of green that hung off her shoulder. Inside was a comfortable look futon on the ground. "You're constant pacing is keeping me up…" she rubbed her eyes, a loud yawn emerging.

"T-Toph, we-I-we need to talk." He stuttered.

Toph, eyes closed, furrowed her eyebrows. "About what?" she already forgot about the whole thing.

"Last night…you know…"

"Huh…?"

"With your fiancé and…me…and stuff…"

"Oh…that? That was nothing." Toph yawned.

"N-Nothing! Toph, are you really going to get married?"

Toph shrugged. "I guess so. It's not like I really care. We'll get married, I'll have some crazy spawns, it's all good."

Aang incredulously stared at her. "Are you serious? This is a _big_ step in your life!"

"Not as big as leaving with you guys." She crossed her arms. "Oh god, they're at it again." A light blush laced her pale cheeks.

"Who? What?"

"N-Nothing," Toph waved her hands making the matter useless. "S-So…shall we take a little stroll?" she closed her door and stretched.

Aang nodded slowly, pulling her night gown's sleeve up to cover her shoulder.

Exactly five minutes, two seconds and fifty nanoseconds later, Aang was walking over a very familiar wooden bridge. Toph was easily walking along the railing.

"Remember this? I was talking to you here." Toph jumped down from the edge of the railing and landed easily on her feet. Her night gown fluttered up slightly, revealing the upper part of her legs, and her shoulder was once again exposed. "Six years ago to be exact."

Aang smiled. "Are there any ants I should know about?"

Toph lifted her feet. "I think I stepped on some…"

"Ew…" Aang cringed, backing away from the ant squisher.

After a few moments with Toph wiping off the bugs from the bottoms of her feet, she ran next to Aang. It was a dark night, the new moon marking the beginning of a new month. "Aang, why are you so nervous?"

"Nervous?" Aang laughed, his heart beating faster and faster. "I'm not nervous!"

"Don't even try lying. I can tell." She raised an eyebrow, pointing at her own feet.

He looked down upon her feet.

Her blank stare directed at his head (or where she thought his head would be).

"So…" Aang mumbled, shuffling his feet.

"So…?" Toph raised a questioning eyebrow. She crossed her arms, the nightgown slipping off her shoulder once more.

Aang reached over to pull it up, but rolled his eyes and decided to just forget about it (_It's not like it'll make a difference to her…_Was his thought).

"Damn it, I can still feel it from here." Toph blushed. "Oh great, now they started as well…" she covered her face with both hands, a frustrated whine dieing in her throat.

"Huh? Start what?"

"Nothing you need to know." She sighed.

"Why? You can tell me."

She laughed loudly. "Oh, ho, no I can not!"

"Come on! Tell me!" It was child's play all over again.

"Never! Not in your lifetime."

"My lifetime is as long as time, now tell me!"

"Again, not in your lifetime!"

Aang threw up his arms. "_Fine_! _Don't_ tell me!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

A moment of silence.

"Please?"

She sighed, exasperated. "You just _never_ give up, do you?"

"I'll be your best friend!"

"You are, stupid."

"I'll hug you."

"Like I want one!"

"Kiss?"

"Are you going insane?"

"Hand stands on one hand and hop around like an idiot?"

Toph stared at him. "What?"

"…never mind…" he sighed.

"Are you getting enough sleep recently?"

"Yes, I am."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not lying!"

"There you go again!"

"Would you stop?"

"You did _not_ get sleep last night. Your heart is racing, your palms are sweating," Toph crossed her arms and her eyes shifted up towards Aang (mostly to add dramatic feel…and to freak out her opponent) "What's up?"

Aang closed his eyes tightly shut. His mind flashed back to the first sight of her in the swamp to the events from last night. For so long he was in love with Katara, but it was all unrequited (he still believes Zuko stole her from him), but last night, a mentioned kiss threw him off his rocker. He opened his eyes and looked at her. The night was too dark, but he could see her frame, small ever since the beginning. She's grown to the fullest, her hands slender and her hips more pronounced ("I can't fit into my pants anymore!"). The nightgown was slipping farther from her shoulder ("Toph, you'll look so cute and sexy in this nightgown!" Katara, shopping for wedding preparations (i.e. lingerie), proclaimed. "…huh?").

"Are you feeling alright? It seems like your heart is going to collapse. Don't you think you should sit down or something?" Toph walked closer to Aang, feeling his forehead and touching his hot neck with her cooler hands.

Toph didn't change at all, personality wise. Sure, she was more womanly ("YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND MY FEELINGS, YOU JACKASS!"), more sensitive ("OH HEAVENS, WHY AM I ALWAYS SO CRAMPY?!") and had the usual monthly bleeding ("KATARA! I'M BEELDING FROM THE INSIDE!!!").

But she became sweeter in ways ("Are you kids lost?" she would say kindly. "Let me take you back home."), and she never hesitated when her dear friends felt down ("Toph…did you kick Zuko's…testicles?" Katara winced. "Yes…you were crying." Toph nodded. "I was cutting onions!"). She also developed an affinity with moose-lion cubs ("They're so…cute…" Toph would coo. "…_You_ can't even _see_ them." Sokka would cry out).

"You're burning like an argument between Princess and Snoozles in a room together." Toph exclaimed. She grabbed his wrist, "Let's get you inside."

Aang, a sudden surge of courage, grabbed her wrist, suddenly spun her (several times) and hugged her close against his chest. He was shaking violently, his hands barely able to wrap around her figure. She was just plain confused (and dizzy).

"What are you doing?" the sound of her voice muffled in his shirt.

"I-I'm hugging you!"

"Why…?"

"B-Because…I-I…" he pushed her back, his hands touching her seemingly bare shoulders. "I…I like you." He quickly mumbled under his breath.

"…What?" she didn't hear him.

"I like you." He mumbled, only a slight bit louder.

"Huh?!" she pushed up onto the tips of her toes so she could hear better. "Mind repeating that?"

Exactly five seconds and nine heartbeats later, Aang planted a sloppy one on her lips.

In exactly one minute, including awkward pauses, Toph earth-bended the boy into a tree and stormed off with a smile on her face.

Three days and seven hours later, Aang, Katara, Zuko, Sokka and Suki left to go back to their respected homes. Aang was to follow Katara and Zuko back to the Fire-nation (major reconstruction needed); Sokka and Suki headed back to Kyoshi Island where they left their other three children. Toph sent her good-byes with hugs, punches to the arm and a kiss on the cheek for Aang. ("For being an idiot." She tapped his nose).

Three weeks and five hours later, Aang played Romeo and landed on the window sill. Unknown to him, Toph's room changed to a room inside the large mansion; this room was the room that was currently being used as an opium chamber.

_"Hey! It's the Avatar!" _

_"No…_I'm_ the Avatar!" _

_"No,_ I_ am!" _

One day later Aang finally made his way to Toph's room (a bit of bribery and earth-bending does the trick). He caught her dressing for a formal that evening.

Two hours later, a maid was tending his wounds.

One minute later, Toph knocked the door down (she put it back up after a long scolding from the maid) and began yelling at the young Avatar and poking his chest.

Two seconds later, Aang pushed towards her and pressed his lips right above her lips (i.e. he missed). He pulled back, embarrassed.

Three seconds later, Toph's fiancé (yes, their marriage was still intact) knocked down the door (he put it back up after a long scolding from the maid) and began yelling at the two young benders.

One second later, Toph slapped his face. Her hand was as red as his cheek, both skins stinging in pain. "I don't need you to boss me around. This engagement is only for my parents, _not you_."

During the formal, a heartbroken groom-to-be called off the engagement, but still promised a donation to the Bei Fong family (silkworms were beginning to disappear, thus the decline in one of their major markets).

Aang, waiting outside of the building spotted Toph, as she walked out onto a balcony, and flew down to her. "A…About that? I'm…sorry…I don't know what I was thinking. I just…want to be near you, even if it means you don't like…_love_ me back. I just want to be by your side until the end…so yeah…"

Toph, pausing to take in all that was said and done, smiled an unusual smile. "It's okay. I feel the same as well." She took his face in her hands and guided him to the correct position.

Two years later, Katara and Zuko (with two children and another coming along the way) received a wedding invitation. "Formally inviting the Fire Lord and his wife to the ceremony and reception of the union of Aang and Toph Bei Fong." Katara read with a wide smile. "Zuko, that's wonderful, isn't it?"

Zuko, a baby's foot nearly in his eyes, tried to grin as well. "SURE!"

_**(ATLA)**_

**Ho, hum. **

**Five day later, Sokka and Suki heard the news from Katara and Zuko. They sent a letter asking as to why they weren't invited. **

**Toph simply replied, "Oh you can come, but whenever the two of you are alone, there are always strange vibrations emitting from your room." She simply smiled. **

**Hi, ho, hi, ho, it's off to work we go! **


End file.
